Overview
- The Hessian Administrative Court in Kassel rejected an emergency bid to block clearing of the remaining half-hectare in Frankfurt’s Fechenheimer Wald.
- The non-appealable order upholds the Hessian Economics Ministry’s October permit allowing felling despite the presence of the strictly protected Heldbock beetle.
- The court endorsed mitigation that relocates felled breeding trees within the work site under environmental supervision to limit harm to beetles and larvae.
- Autobahn-GmbH will review the ruling before setting a felling date, while activist groups expect tree removal to proceed soon.
- The project closes the A66 gap to the A661 via the 1.1-kilometer Riederwaldtunnel within a 2.2-kilometer upgrade, with Riederwald work expected to last at least eight years and cost at least €1.5 billion.